- Retention dam studies were presented for Agia Pelagia, Palaiokastro, and Lygaria
- The goal is flood protection, not “paper protection.”
- Interventions focus on holding rainwater, reducing runoff, and limiting damage
- The plan combines studies from Daedalus S.A. and the Special Urban Plan for Malevizi
- Local officials, DEYAM, community presidents, and the Region of Crete services took part
When Rain Falls Hard, These Villages Pay First
Some places in Crete do not just “get bad weather.” They absorb it. They become the first line of damage—roads turning into rivers, basements filling like bathtubs, and businesses doing the panicked math of “how much will this cost us this time?”
That is exactly why Agia Pelagia, Palaiokastro, and Lygaria were placed at the center of a new flood-defense effort presented in a dedicated meeting at the Malevizi Town Hall.
The Municipality of Malevizi introduced a package of retention dam studies—in plain English: structures designed to slow and hold stormwater before it becomes destructive. Not glamorous, not touristy, but in 2026, this is what modern protection looks like.
Retention Dams, Runoff Control, and a Real Plan
According to the Municipality, the proposed interventions form an integrated framework, produced through a combination of:
- Studies carried out under the Programmatic Agreement between Malevizi Municipality and Daedalus S.A.
- additional planning through the Municipality’s Special Urban Plan (Ειδικό Πολεοδομικό Σχέδιο Μαλεβιζίου)
This matters because a single isolated project rarely achieves flood protection. The message here is that the Municipality wants a coordinated strategy—one that controls stormwater before it hits streets and homes.
The proposed interventions aim to:
- retain rainwater (stormwater storage)
- reduce runoff volume and speed
- strengthen local protection against extreme weather, which is now treated as a recurring reality—not a rare accident
During the presentation, Malevizi Mayor Menelaos Bokeas framed the move as an investment in prevention and resilience in the era of climate instability:
“Our goal is to protect the most vulnerable areas of the Municipality in the best and most modern way. With the interventions proposed by the studies, we ensure the protection of citizens and their property, investing in prevention and in the resilience of our place against the climate crisis.”
He also publicly thanked Kostas Fasoulakis, President of Daedalus S.A., and Thanasis Kyrkos, General Director, for their cooperation.
If this were just a formal presentation, it would be forgettable. The part that gives this meeting weight is who showed up, because flood protection requires coordination between municipal services, water authorities, and regional technical departments.
Participants included:
- Deputy Mayors of Malevizi Municipality
- The administration and technical staff of DEYAM (Malevizi Water & Sewerage Company)
- local community presidents:
- Giorgos Pediotis (Achlada)
- Giannis Ntoulakis (Rodia)
- service officials from:
- The Region of Crete Technical Works Directorate
- The Environment Directorate
In other words, an operational planning step across multiple competent bodies.
